Srinagar, Oct 25: Kenyan runners Kanab Kalob Omolo and Lemensa Harpaa won the men’s and women’s full-marathon titles at the third edition of the Kashmir International Marathon today, which recorded 2,136 registrations, including 73 foreign participants from 12 countries.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flagged off the event from Polo Ground here, where runners competed in the 42.19-km full marathon and the 21.09-km half marathon. The event carried a total prize purse of Rs 3.17 crore.
Among the participants who drew attention were Kulsum from Gujarat, who ran while carrying a child in her arms, and Shivam Kumar from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, a specially-abled runner without both arms who completed the half marathon.
My disability has never come in the way of achieving anything in life. I set a target and achieve what I want,” Kumar said, crediting his coach for his preparation.
He said he was preparing to represent the country at national and international levels.
Omolo, who was participating in Kashmir for the first time, said the course was good, although the weather was cold.
“The best thing about Kashmir is that the cheering was everywhere. We got all the facilities,” he said.
In the men’s full marathon, Omolo finished first, followed by Hamington Kinaro Cherub in second place and Jacob Kabacholi in third. Harpaa won the women’s full marathon, with Sheren Jimilo finishing second and Monika Vanjohi third.
In the men’s half marathon, Leme Teshong Lemantso secured first place, followed by Barko Bayasa Bakale and Sambol Eric Kanguso. Ankita won the women’s half marathon, while Saha Deslin Adana finished second and Helen Motino Megonor third.
Separate categories for local runners from Jammu and Kashmir were also contested. Kulbir Singh won the men’s full-marathon local category, followed by Waseem Ahmad Dar and Ragav Sharma. Neha Devi secured the women’s local full-marathon title, with Diksha finishing second and Salma Bedi third.
Muhammad Yaseen Mir won the men’s local half marathon, followed by Rajit Sharma and Parveen Kumar. Keriti Devi topped the women’s local half marathon, while Sakshi Thakur and Shamshad Bano finished second and third, respectively.
Mir said he had been preparing for the marathon for a year, adding that the cold weather made running difficult.
“I have been preparing for this for the last one year. The issue today was the cold, which makes running difficult. But the practice I did helped me a lot,” he said.
He urged young people to prioritise physical fitness and sports.
The marathon carried Rs 2.11 crore in prize money for the full marathon and Rs 1.06 crore for the half marathon.
A dedicated Jammu and Kashmir local category, with an additional prize component of Rs 25 lakh, was introduced to encourage and recognise local talent.
Director Tourism Kashmir Syed Qamar Sajjad said the marathon recorded 2,136 registrations this year, more than in the previous two editions, with 73 foreign participants representing 12 countries.
“The total number of registrations we had this year was 2,136, which is more than the last two years. The foreign participants who came were 73, from 12 countries,” Sajjad said.
He said the event was being developed as a major sporting attraction as interest in sports tourism continued to grow globally.
“This year, we tried to take the marathon to a grand level. We have become members of the Association of International Distance Races, and in the coming days, we are going to register the Kashmir Marathon with the Tourism Department as an elite brand,” he said.
Sajjad described the runners as ambassadors of Kashmir tourism, saying their experiences would help promote the region across India and abroad.
“The marathon route is unique. Runners can see Dal Lake, the Zabarwan Hills and the Mughal Gardens along the way. Because of this, the Kashmir Marathon is going to shine even more in the coming days,” he said.
According to the route map, runners in both categories started from Polo View and proceeded towards Rajbagh and Lal Chowk before heading to Dalgate and the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Half-marathon participants continued towards Makai Park before turning back and returning via SKICC, Gupkar Chowk and the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) to Polo View.
Full-marathon runners continued from SKICC towards Nishat Garden and Kashmir University before returning via Nishat Garden, Makai Park, SKICC, Gupkar Chowk and TRC to finish at Polo View.
Chief Minister said the marathon was emerging as a flagship sporting event for Jammu and Kashmir, helping promote tourism while encouraging fitness and healthy living.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg and senior tourism officials were among those present at the flag-off.
